Unitized dual chamber press head and method of making same



Jan. 2o, 1970 Y DLL. RAD-FORD 3,490,158

UNITIZED DUAL CHAMBER PRESS HEAD AND METHOD OF' MAKING SAME Filed May 27, 1968 @0c mf zmdfmml ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A unitized dual chamber press head having an inner and two outer sheet elements secured together to define therebetween two chambers including, respectively, a steam chamber for heating the head and a vent chamber communicating with openings in the pressing surface for direct fluid contact with the garment to be pressed, the inner and pressing surface sheet elements being welded together at small spaced locations; and to the method of fabricating the same.

In the pressing art, it is common to moisten a garment and then dry it between complementry heated pressing surfaces, sometimes venting the surfaces by vacuum to accelerate the drying. To accomplish this, a typical commercial press provides a pressing head having two chambers, one chamber receiving steam for heating the pressing surface and the other chamber communicating with the pressing surface through many small vents for directing conditioning steam against the garment and/or for drawing vacuum through the garment for drying it. The pressing surface should be at an elevated temperature, frequently in excess of 300 F., for quick and sharp pressing.

Existing dual chamber press heads frequently are formed from three sheetelements, with the top and inner sheet elements being secured together to define the steam heating chamber and with the bottom pressing sheet element being edge crimped over such heating chamber structure and defining therewith the vent chamber. Spacers welded to the inner sheet element abut against the underside of the pressing sheet element to provide heat transfer paths between the heating chamber and the pressing surface.

A major problem in such head construction has been the relatively cool pressing surface temperature as compared to the temperature of steam in the heating chamber In fact, superheated steam at approximately 300 F. confined in the steam chamber frequently heats the pressing surface to temperatures of less than 225 F. This large differential is caused by the limited heat transfer across the abutting contacts of the spacers between the heating chamber structure and the pressing surface. Even with this questionable performance, existing heads lcannot be easily fabricated because each spacer must be ground to be flush against the underside of the pressing sheet element and consequently are quite costly.

This invention relates to an improved unitized dual chamber press head construction, as well as to the method of forming such.

An object of this invention is to provide in a dual chamber press head, where one chamber confines steam to heat the head and where the other chamber communicates through perforations in the pressing surface directly against the garment, mechanically secured or metallurgical bonded connections between the heating chamber structure and the pressing surface element for improved heat transfer therebetween.

nited States Patent O ice Another object of this invention is to provide a unitized dual chamber press head having three sheet elements welded or metallurgically bonded to one another, with the inner and one outer sheet elements defining therebetween in the steam heating chamber, with the other outer pressing sheet element being perforated and definlng with the inner sheet element the vent chamber, and with spaced portions of the inner and pressing sheet elements being mechanically secured or metallurgically welded together for improved heat transfer between the steam chamber structure and the pressing surface element.

Another object of this invention is to provide an irnproved method of forming such a dual chamber press head which includes debossing certain small spaced segments of the inner sheet element to lie ush against the interior side of the pressing surface sheet element and 0f welding these mated areas together, and'thereafter of seam welding the other outer sheet element and the inner and one sheet elements at their respective peripheries t0 establish the separated chambers, with spacers being optionally provided and welded between the inner and other sheet element preferably opposite the debossments.

These and other objects and advantages can be more fully appreciated by reference to the following specification including as a part thereof the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a typical garment pressing, machine in which the subject press head construction can be utilized;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the subject press head;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views, as seen generally from lines 3-3 and 4 4, respectively, in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view as seen generally from line 5-5 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view similar to a portion of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, the garment pressing machine 10 shown includes a frame 12 supporting a buck 14 over table 16, and an arm 18 is pivoted by mechanism (not shown) to the frame 12 and supports thereon a head 20 which can be raised and lowered to cooperate with the buck 14. Sources of steam and vacuum are supplied to the machine, as is shown typically by steam line Z2, and appropriate conduits and flexible hoses (steam conduit 24 and hose 26 being shown) are directed from the supply line to the buck and head as required. The buck and head are each heated by circulating steam through the respective component, and further steam is discharged from the head and vacuum is drawn into the buck and at times the head as desired to condition and dry the garment. Generally, the head pressing surface 30 is hard and of polished metal, and the buck pressing surface 32 is padded and covered by a fibrous material.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-6 and particularly FIG. 4, the press head 20 includes a pair of outer sheet metal elements 40 and 42 and an inner sheet metal element 44 which is sandwiched therebetween. The sheet elements are generally coextensive to one another but are lapped sufficiently to be secured together by bead wells 46 'and 48 disposed entirely about their peripheries. The pressing sheet element 42 is perforated, having a plurality of small openings 50, and further is preferably chrome plated and polished or Teflon coated to'be smooth, durable and easily cleaned.

The sheet elements 40 and 44 are separated from one another and define therebetween steam chamber 52, which chamber has provided thereto an outlet connection 54 for a steam hose (not shown) and typically an inlet connection S6 for hose 26. Steam circulation within chamber 52 thereby heats the chamber structure and those components contacting the chamber structure. The sheet elements 42 and 44 define therebetween a vent chamber 58 which communicates with perforations 50.

A passageway 60 extends between the chambers 52 and 58 and has a valve 62 therein which can be manually operated by lever 64 to provide a steam supply to the vent chamber for discharge against the garment. It would also be possible, although such is not shown, to connect to the chamber 58 a source of vacuum by means of a connection similar to line 26 and a valve control for drawing vacuum through the perforations 50 to the chamber 58 to dry the garment.

The inner sheet 42 has formed therein a plurality of embossments which are disposed at spaced intervals over the entire area of the sheet element, as can be noted by reference to the embossments 70a, 70h, 70e, 70d, 70e and 70]. The bottom face 72 of each typical embossment complements the upper interior surface 74 of the pressing sheet element 42. The inner sheet element 44 and the pressing sheet element 42 are Welded together by a continuous Weld 76 along each embossment as shown typically in detail in FIG. 6. Each weld '76 can be formed by means of a submerged arc technique where a pair of electrodes are brought in proximity with the upper surface of the inner sheet 42 and submerged under a suitable granular silicone and whereby further an arc is struck between the electrodes which is sufficient to melt and fuse together the adjacent contacting surfaces of the elements. The electrodes can then be moved along each embossment to complete the weld.

Spacers 80a, 80b, 80C and 80e are located between the sheet elements 44 and 40 to straddle certain embossments and are joined to sheet element 44 by means of staggered welds 82 (FIG. 5). The staggered welds permit admission of steam into the embossment area past the spacer to heat the pressing surface element 42 directly across weld 76, and also offers a residual heat supply with the mass of the spacer connected in good heat transfer relationship with the pressing sheet element. The spacers are spot welded to the upper sheet element 40, as can be seen typically at 84 (FIG. 2).

It is thus noted that by meansgof this unitized head construction, the steam chamber construction is mechanically connected to the pressing sheet element 42 by welds 76 at spaced intervals over the area of the pressing sheet element. This provides good heat transfer from the steam chamber to the pressing surface to reduce the differential between the pressing surface temperature and the steam temperature. For example, susperheated steam confined in the steam chamber at a temperature of approximately 300 F. heats the pressing surface to and maintains it at a temperature of almost 275. Moreover, even after the press head is brought against a moistened garment and the pressing surface is cooled rapidly in drying the garment, the recovery time required to bring the pressing surface to operating temperature again is extremely short so that a subsequent pressing cycle can follow quickly. The unitized head further is very rigid and can be fabricated of light gauge metal and yet provide dependable service over a long period.

The press head can be formed by initially fabricating each sheet element 40, 42 and 44 to the required configuration. Thereafter, the inner sheet element 44 can be positioned on the pressing sheet element 42 and the welds 76 made along the full length of the embossment. It has been found most advantageous to utilize a submerge arc welding technique with automatic equipment, such as provided by the Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland, Ohio. After the welds 76 are made, the spacers 80 are located in place over the embossed areas and the welds 82 made to secure them in place. Thereafter the sheet 4 element 40l is positioned over the assembly and peripheral welds 48 and 50 made, as well as spot welds 84.

While a specific construction has been disclosed, it will be obvious that modifications can be made therefrom without departing from the inventive concept.

I claim:

1. A press head for a garment pressing machine, comprising first and second outer sheet elements and an inner sheet element disposed between the outer sheet elements, means interconnecting the adjacent sheet elements around their respective peripheries to dene a first chamber between the first outer and inner sheet elements and a second chamber between the second outer and inner sheet elements, the exterior surface of the iirst outer sheet element being the pressing surface of the head and having a plurality of small openings therein communicating with the first chamber, means including a connection to the first chamber for steam and/or vacuum, means including a connection to the second chamber for steam, and means between the inner and first outer sheet elements at a plurality of separated small areas disposed within the peripheries thereof mechanically securing the sheet elements together for improved heat transfer between the second chamber and the pressing surface.

2. A press head according to claim 1 wherein the inner and first outer sheet elements are welded together at the small separated areas within the peripheries thereof.

3. A press head according to claim 2, wherein the inner sheet element has a plurality of small embossments toward the pressing sheet element to be disposed flush against the interior surface thereof, and wherein each embossment is Welded to the pressing sheet element.

4. A press head according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent sheet elements are interconnected around their peripheries by continuous welds.

5. A process head according to claim 1, wherein spacer elements are disposed between and are mechanically secured to the inner and second outer sheet elements.

6. A press head according to claim 3, wherein spacer elements are located opposite certain of the embossments in the inner sheet element and are welded to the inner and second outer sheet elements.

7. A press head according to claim 1, formed by initially embossing the inner sheet at a plurality of separated small areas toward the first outer sheet element to provide that each embossment engages the first outer sheet element, and thereafter welding the inner and first outer sheet elements together at these'embossments.

8. A press head made according to claim 7, wherein further the inner and rst outer sheet elements are welded together by means of a submerged arc Welding technique.

9. A press head according to claim 1, wherein the connection means to the first chamber includes a passageway between'the first and second chambers, and wherein a valve element is disposed in the passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,805,570 5/1931 Davis 38-16 1,867,620l 7/1932 Forse 38-16 1,876,626 t 9/1932 Davis 38-16 2,007,321 7/1935 Yosyk 38-16 3,370,612 2/1945 Lornitzo 38-66 3,015,176 1/1962 Freeman 38-66 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner 

